Technical Field
Methods for enhancing the effectiveness of various medical therapies used for treating diseases, such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, and autoimmune diseases, are provided herein. Agents used in these methods include agents that suppress a biological damage response.
Description of the Related Art
Cytotoxic and genotoxic therapies are administered to hundreds of thousands of patients each year for treatment of a variety of diseases, most notably, cancers. Cancer includes a broad range of diseases and affects approximately one in four individuals worldwide. In the United States, cancer is the second leading cause of death, accounting for 23% of all deaths. While the five-year relative survival rate for all cancers diagnosed is approximately 68%, treatments and their rates of success vary between cancer types. Even though chemotherapies and radiotherapies are designed to target cancer cells, the therapies can adversely affect normal cells and tissue to an extent that the beneficial effect of the cancer therapy can be significantly compromised.
Highly active anti-retroviral therapy administered to men and women who are HIV infected and have developed AIDS has contributed to extending the lifespan and improving the general health of those infected. However, this therapy can also adversely affect normal cell physiology as well.